The background information is believed, at the time of the filing of this patent application, to adequately provide background information for this patent application. However, the background information may not be completely applicable to the claims as originally filed in this patent application, as amended during prosecution of this patent application, and as ultimately allowed in any patent issuing from this patent application. Therefore, any statements made relating to the background information are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.
Incandescent light bulbs have been and are currently used in a large variety of lighting products. An incandescent light bulb or lamp produces light by heating a metal filament wire to a high temperature until it glows. The hot filament is protected from air by a glass bulb that is filled with inert gas or evacuated. Most lamps are configured to be used in a socket and comprise a base, such as an Edison screw base, an MR16 shape with a bi-pin base, or a GU5.3 (Bipin cap) or GU10 (bayonet socket).
Even though incandescent light bulbs are relatively inexpensive, as compared to alternative light sources, incandescent light bulbs have several drawbacks. For example, incandescent light bulbs use a relatively large amount of power compared to other lighting products which increase energy costs. Also, incandescent light bulbs have a relatively short life causing repetitive replacement costs.
Recently, fluorescent lamps, particularly compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), have been developed to overcome some of the drawbacks associated with the incandescent lamps. For example, fluorescent lamps are more efficient and have a longer life than incandescent lamps. A fluorescent lamp is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor. The excited mercury atoms produce short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor to fluoresce, producing visible light. Fluorescent lamps convert electrical power into useful light more efficiently than incandescent lamps, lowering energy costs. Larger fluorescent lamps are mostly used in commercial or institutional buildings and CFLs have been developed to be used in the similar manner as incandescent. Even though fluorescent lamps have overcome some of the drawbacks associated with the incandescent lamps, drawbacks remain. For example, fluorescent lamps contain mercury which is hazardous to human health and they may have a delayed response time when turning on the lamp.
More recently, light emitting diode (LED) lamps have been developed to overcome some of the drawbacks associated with the incandescent and fluorescent lamp. An LED lamp is a solid-state lamp that uses LEDs as the source of light. An LED may comprise a conventional semiconductor light emitting diode or an organic or polymeric light emitting diode. The light emitted by an LED is caused by the generation of photons from materials within the LED and is not the product of an electrical current passing through an illuminating filament. LED lamps may have one or more advantages over fluorescent lamps, for example, LED lamps do not contain mercury, they may turn on instantly, they may have a longer service life, they may have a smaller size, and they may have a greater efficiency.
However, currently available LED lamps may not be well suited for some lighting applications. For example, LED lamps may require a plurality of LEDs to provide a desired amount of light generation which may generate excessive heat. The heat generated from the LEDs may accumulate within the lamp and raise the operating temperature of the LEDs. Operating LEDs at a higher temperature may adversely affect the service life of the LED lamp. Currently available LED lamps may be insufficient for dissipating the generated heat. Additionally, currently available LED lamps may require complex heat management systems to dissipate heat generated by the LEDs. Such requirements may introduce obstacles in designing LED lamps having a desired service life.
What is needed is an LED lamp that overcomes some of the obstacles associated with currently available LED lamps and provides a desired service life.